


How Enjolras Inspired Them All

by Chazymandias



Category: Les Misérables (2012), Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Canon deaths, Cosette And Enjolras Are Siblings, Cosette and Marius aren't a thing quite yet, Cosette's at the barricade, Enjolras is the reason for everything, mostly canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-06
Updated: 2015-02-06
Packaged: 2018-03-10 18:51:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3300011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chazymandias/pseuds/Chazymandias
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As the revolution begins some members of Les Amis l'ABC look back on why they fight for this cause.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How Enjolras Inspired Them All

**Author's Note:**

> Whilst at the barricade, Eponine thinks back on why she's there.

It was cold for June, thought Eponine as she stood shivering at the barricade. It was night and the streets of Paris were unusually silent. The people had been with them earlier, everywhere had been a rush of activity. The barricade had gone up quicker than she had imagined it could. Enjolras had really roused everyone to their cause. Then there had been the incident with that spy Javert, and Gavroche, her Gavroche had saved them all. Now everyone was feeling the tension. Marius was restraining Javert inside, with the others. Eponine smiled because Marius looked so handsome in that coat. She looked in and Enjolras caught her smiling and looked at her with pity in his eyes. Again. She knew that Enjolras didn't think she and Marius had a chance, but she was here, willing to fight and die beside him. Surely that had to count for something. And anyway, Marius had welcomed her when she'd arrived. Eponine looked away from him.

Enjolras only meant to save her from pain, she knew that. He'd always been like that, ever since she'd first met him. He a dashing young student and her nothing but a lowly street girl. Yet he'd looked past that and seen her. Seen that she was loyal and passionate. He'd introduced her to the rest of Les Amis de l'ABC, and there; Marius. Enjolras was always brutally truthful, but only because he believed in honesty in all things. From the moment he'd noticed her interest in Marius he'd told her of Marius' infatuation with Enjolras' own sister; Cosette. How he'd never looked at another woman since he'd first met her.  
Eponine had gone 'home' that night and sobbed. Then she'd gone to the meeting the next day and afterwards informed Enjolras that she didn't care, that she loved Marius and that nothing he said would change that. That was the only time they'd ever argued.  
Enjolras had given her a cause to fight for, somewhere to go to escape the horror that was her family. Everyone else had believed that she'd join them, either sell herself or murder and steal to get by, like her mother and father and their gang of criminals. Ever since she was young Eponine had been disgusted by their ways. She vowed never to help them or join them. She begged in order to feed herself and Gavroche, but Gavroche didn't need her. Nobody needed her.  
So when Enjolras had turned to her and said "France needs you" it had touched something deep within her. A part of her that longed to be needed. She had smiled and taken his hand and stood with him and the others, against the inequality in their country, feeling for once as though she was able to help someone.  
They had started with small demonstrations, giving speeches to the public. People came but then they left again. Nothing got through to them. Which was when Enjolras had started to think bigger.  
“We need the people to stand with us. We need to start a revolution to save our country” he’d say, a fire alright in his eyes. Some of les Amis had left at that point; Joly, Jean. They weren’t prepared to fight. Eponine had stayed. She’d seen how Enjolras drew people to him, how they would answer his call. She had faith that whatever his plan was, it would succeed.  
But now here she was, standing waiting for the plan, waiting for people who weren’t coming.

A cry came: “INCOMING!" Everyone ran out of the cafe, Marius snatching her gun from her hands as he passed her. Then the only friends she’d ever known were standing on the barricade, pointing guns at the approaching soldiers. Enjolras, top and centre, commanding everyone as he always did.

“WHO’S THERE?” came the call from the guard. Enjolras looked around, saw the courage in the people surrounding him and shouted back to them,  
“FRENCH REVOLUTION!” 

Immediately the shots came, shaking the unstable barricade. The guard were on them, climbing over the top. Some were pushed back, shot down but more were coming. Eponine could see that les Amis were brave and they would fight to the last man for this cause. A frenzy of shouting and passing guns was going on around her but all Eponine could hear was Gavroche shouting Marius’ name. Then she saw the gun, aimed straight at Marius. Everything in her heart screamed and she threw herself up the barricade and pulled the gun into herself just as it went off. Her body jolted with the force of the impact and she sank down, clutching her chest. The rain was warm on her face, and replaced the tears she couldn't cry. From her position she could see Marius, standing atop the barricade with a keg of gunpowder and a flaming torch. Stupid boy. She had not got herself shot so he could kill them all. She looked for Enjolras, he'd stop this, he'd save them. Apollo come from the heavens to rescue his people. Then, as if her thoughts had conjured him, he was there, removing the torch from Marius' hand. There were no more gunshots and Enjolras whispered something to Marius, who turned and ran to her.

"Eponine, what have you done?" He pulled her coat open to show blood, so much blood. She looked down and frowned. Marius pulled her into his arms and looked at her sadly.  
"Don’t fret" she whispered, "a little fall of rain can hardly hurt me now." Eponine giggled then gasped, the pain becoming too much for her.  
Enjolras appeared and faltered when he saw her wound. She smiled at his so he’d know she didn’t blame him,  
"Thank... You"

He flinched but then reached down and brushed her hair off her brow.  
"Rest now, brave girl, France salutes you."  
So, knowing that she had done all she could, and that Marius was safe, Eponine closed her eyes, and gave in.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first work for Les Mis so be gentle, I'm sorry if the characters aren't quite right. I plan to do 7 more chapters, one for each of Enjolras' friends. Let me know what you think of it?


End file.
